A retractor is a surgical instrument that is used to separate the edges of a surgical incision or wound, holding back underlying tissues and organs so that body parts under the incision may be accessed. Retractors are available in many different shapes, sizes and styles.
A typical retractor comprises a scissor-type arrangement of two elongated arms mechanically connected by a pivot. At the distal end (in use) of each elongated arm is a paddle (or blade) and at the proximal end (in use) of each elongated arm is a handle; separation of the paddles being controlled by manipulation of the handles. Unlike scissors, the handles are brought together to separate the paddles. A ratchet or similar mechanism is used to hold the paddles in a separated position.
During surgery, when the retractor is employed to hold open (for example) a surgical incision, a separate light source is usually required to illuminate the workspace created. Typically a surgeon may use a head-mounted light or other external light source. However, when the incision and/or workspace is deep within the body, such light sources are unreliable and often provide poor illumination. Furthermore, shadows can be cast within the workspace which make it hard to operate effectively.
To remedy this problem, WO2009/037498 (FIG. 2a of which is reproduced herein as FIG. 1) discloses a retractor with an integrated light source. The retractor 8 is of a type comprising two elongated arms 9 mechanically connected by a pivot 10. At the distal end of each elongated arm 9 is located a paddle assembly 11, the separation of the paddle assemblies 11 being controlled through the manual manipulation of handles 12 located at the proximal end of the elongated arms 9. The paddle assemblies 11 comprise independent units which snap fit onto the distal ends of the elongated arms 9. Each paddle assembly 11 comprises an hermetically sealed unit which encloses a light source and a corresponding power source. The paddle 17 can be adjusted so as to allow a surgeon to alter the size of the retractor 8 depending on the depth of the incision (or in other words the amount of skin, fat and muscle that has to be retracted) by pulling the paddle 17 out of, or pushing the paddle 17 into, the casing.
This retractor provides a source of light inside the retracted tissue area to illuminate the tissue of interest and/or workspace without obstructing the view or hindering the manual dexterity of the surgeon, or indeed requiring additional manipulation of a separate light source (or light sources), whether by the surgeon or by his or her assistants.
Notwithstanding the improvements over conventional retractors and illumination practices enabled by the teachings of WO2009/037498, it is an object of at least one aspect of the present invention to provide a retractor that provides further advantages over conventional retractors, and obviates or mitigates one or more disadvantages of same.
Further aims and objects of the invention will become apparent from reading the following description.